Gordon Brown ‘marginalised’ by Tony Blair ahead of Iraq war

Gordon Brown was ‘marginalised’ by Tony Blair in the run-up to the war in
Iraq, Clare Short, the former Cabinet minister, has said.

The former international development secretary, who resigned following the 2003 invasion in protest at the failure to plan for the aftermath of the war, is due to give evidence at the Iraq Inquiry tomorrow.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, she disclosed that while Mr Brown did not speak out in Cabinet against the war, she had the impression from him that he did not support it.

But as relations between Mr Blair and Mr Brown were at a low-point, the then-Chancellor was left out of the major discussions ahead of the conflict.

Miss Short said: "In most of the run up to the war Gordon and Tony were in one of their fallen out phases and Gordon was marginalised and not included and not in the inner group.

"He didn't oppose the war, but he didn't support it. He was pre-occupied with other things."

Miss Short said that Mr Brown feared that he would be forced out of the Treasury if the conflict proved successful and strengthened the hands of the Blairites.

It was claimed yesterday that crucial evidence by Sir Richard Dearlove, head of MI6 at the time of the invasion, would be heard in private.

He is likely to be pressed over now-discredited intelligence from a contact known as “Curveball” which suggested that Saddam was producing chemical weapons.

This morning, the inquiry will hear from Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, who was Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) between 2006 and 2009, and Deputy CDS at the time of the war.

In the afternoon, Sir Bill Jeffrey, the senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence from 2005 to 2009, and General the Lord Walker, CDS from May 2003 to 2006, will give evidence.

On Wednesday, John Reid, the former defence secretary, is expected to support the testimony of Mr Blair, who last week told the inquiry that he had “no regret” over toppling Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator.